Health & Fitness Tools

Flat Abs Exercises – Proven Exercises to Get Flat Abs

16th August, 2009 - Posted by health news - No Comments

It is natural to think muscle improvement would be achieved by directly exercising the muscles. This goes for abdominals, with the crunches, situps, and leglifts everyone knows. The alternatives I’d like to tell you about are whole-body workouts that include ab working. These can give you rock hard abs and a solid core, along with much better fat burning. For you traditionalists, I throw in three direct flat-abs exercises, anyway.

Indirect flat abs exercises:
Using dumbbells as a part of your exercise program can help you in your goal to achieve flat abs. One activity to use is renegade dumbbell rows. First, you should start from the pushup position. Grab a dumbbell with each hand and bring one dumbbell up while grabbing your body with the other arm. Next, you will swap sides and continue going from side to side in a rowing motion. This exercise will work on all of your midsection to help you achieve your goal of flatter abs.

You can use a dumbbell to do front squats. This action is similar to back squats, but the dumbbell will be in front of your body instead of behind it. You will cross your arms to help stabilize the barbell. Next, you make fists and push them into the bar while it is against your shoulders. Elbows should be kept on the front side of your body during this exercise.

It takes some practice in the beginning, so you should have a professional trainer at your fitness club to help you with the movements. Your abs have to be very stable and strong because the barbell weight is in front of your body rather than the back. Although this is mainly an exercise for the legs, you will really feel this in the abs!

The way to do mountain climbers is to begin in a push up position and then move your feet in and out with your knees beneath your chest and then return to the position when you first began. It kind of looks like you are climbing a mountain but you are laying down on the floor. If you desire to do a harder version, you could also move yor hands 8 to 10 inches in front and back as well as moving your legs. This actually makes it an exercise for your whole body and it is harder to do than the regular mountain climbers.

Direct flat abs exercises:
According a recent authoritative study, the best training to help define the six pack abs and the waist is the bicycle exercise. Here’s how it’s done:

First, lie on the floor face up with your fingers laced behind your head. Then, bring your knees toward your chest while lifting your shoulder blades off the ground. Do not pull on your neck. Now, your left leg should be straightened out as you turn your torso to the right. Bring your left elbow toward your right knee. Now, switch to the other side and bring your right elbow toward your left knee. You should continue to alternate this motion as if pedaling. Do 12 to 15 reps.

A Crunch Ball Exercise. A new device called an exercise crunch ball is great for flattening abs especially in the rectus abdominis region of the stomach. Listed below are the instructions in using the device properly:

Let your lower back rest above the ball as you lie down facing upwards. Carefully put it at the back of your head while your arms are crossed over your chest. Raise your torso above the ball by tightening the muscles of your abdomen while curling a bit and pushing your ribcage end towards your hips. As you do this position, don’t let the ball move. Then, slowly go back to your original position and do it all over again for at least 12 to 16 counts.

Reverse Crunch. Lie with your lower back flat on the surface. To maintain your balance, use your arms to support your weight and bend a little bit to pull your legs closer to your hips that make an L-shape form. Let your muscle contract while you bring your hips towards your chest and wait for 3 seconds and loosen up. This position can be repeated as many times as you can. Progression: Hanging Reverse Crunch.